I went on a menopause retreat — this is what it was like | members only

Sitting alone in the sauna, I take a deep breath and slowly exhale, watching the twinkling lights dot the night sky around the village of Naturns in the Italian Dolomites. Surrounded by

silence, the only sound my breath, I feel my body relax and inhibitions melt away. The towel falls around me, and I am finally confident enough to sauna as the Europeans sauna — fully nude —

especially since I am all alone. As a woman of a certain age (I turn 53 this month), I have noticed changes in my body over the past few years. They include hair loss, stubborn weight gain

that does not respond to diet and exercise, and occasional difficulty sleeping, one of my favorite things to do. It is frustrating to look in the mirror and not recognize the woman returning

my gaze, so I turned to the experts for answers. During my last annual physical, I brought the weight issue to my primary care physician, explaining that I take spin classes and practice

yoga several times a week while doing my best to eat mindfully. His reply? “Well, you _are_ at _that_ age.” My gynecologist’s answer was a prescription for hormone replacements. My

hairdresser confirmed my hair was indeed thinning, but thankfully, she was happy to report that it is growing back. Not one to immediately look to traditional medicine such as hormone

replacement therapy for solutions, I did something I rarely do — I turned to the internet. There is plenty of information out in the world about menstrual cycles and pregnancies, but I found

precious little about menopause and women’s health as we move into our more mature years. Googling “menopause” produces results of myriad supplements and low-impact exercise programs aimed

at maturing women. However, I was looking for insights from real experts, not the so-called experts on Instagram or TikTok who look to be quite a way from that season of their lives. Coming

up short, I searched for menopause retreats. Many I found did not appear to have much in the way of substance, focusing instead on shopping, candles and creating a hygge vibe. I am all for

being cozy and comfortable, but I was looking for more. It was only when I looked to Europe that I found the types of retreats I was thinking of, blending holistic practices and traditional

medicine to address menopause symptoms. Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort is in South Tyrol in the Italian Dolomites. Courtesy Priedlehof Luxury Dolce Vita Resort That is how I found myself

in the wine sauna at the adults-only Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort, journeying from Florida to the Italian Dolomites for a weeklong retreat intended to help women adjust their mindset in

the second half of their lives. Rather than a one-size-fits-all program involving a group of women, my retreat was a solo experience, tailored just for me and my needs. The first step in my

menopausal wellness retreat was a heart rate variability (HRV) session with Alexander Angerer, M.D., Preidlhof’s in-house doctor who specializes in complementary medicine, phytotherapy,

homeopathy and acupuncture. HRV monitors changes in our hearts, from beat to beat, and reflects our bodies’ abilities to adapt to stress. After a 25-minute session with sensors attached to

and monitoring my body, I reviewed the report with Angerer. It was not good.